By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
When “Distant Worlds: Music from FINAL FANTASY” comes to town, you will witness the most enthusiastic crowd you have ever seen at whatever venue it’s using, this time Benaroya Hall. I thought I had heard loud in that concert hall before. I was wrong. Presented by AWR Music, with thanks to SQUARE ENIX gaming company, this fan favorite visited Seattle July 6 and 7, with a dedicated choir and orchestra, stunning visual display, and special guests.
They were nights of celebration, of the long-lasting popular game franchise, as well as of its music. This iteration of the show celebrates Masayoshi Soken, who composed the music for FINAL FANTASY XIV and the latest FINAL FANTASY game—XVI, released in 2023. If you don’t know who Soken is, then you are not a real fan, sorry to say—because believe me, this audience knows him. Their reception of him every time he did, well, anything, was spectacular, and yet unfailingly polite. Soken sat in the crowd and was never bothered. At long last, after conductor Arnie Roth continuously highlighted him in what became a humorous mention of “by the way, we have this special guest here” (riotous applause every time), Soken ascended the stage to thank everyone, rally the fans (if it was possible to rally them even more), and promote FINAL FANTASY XVI. “Have you played XVI yet?” he asked, and urged that if not, you should, and he held up a game controller to indicate which button to push if you “want to accept the truth” as the game itself asks you, and we soon saw on the screen. Seamless.
Composer Masayoshi Soken demonstrates how to start playing FINAL FANTASY XVI (conductor Arnie Roth, right). (Photo by Kai Curry)
While XIV, Soken, and XVI are the emphasis, equal time is given to other releases, from the game’s early days in pixelated form to its increasingly sophisticated graphics in recent years. For each case, the orchestra and choir accompany videos created for the show—the videos and the music oftentimes being exclusive premieres just for this audience, in this case scores from FINAL FANTASY XVI. The show itself, “Distant Worlds,” is not new, and many of those in attendance had traveled far and wide not only this night but many nights before to take part wherever it was performing, just as they do for FINAL FANTASY conventions and conferences. The cosplayers were out, and every other person brought some kind of game-related souvenir they hoped that Soken might sign, or just for fun—stuffed animals, accessories, I even saw one man who seemed to be carrying the lid of his record player. These folks are hardcore.
If you want to be in a room full of fun, be in a room of gamers, specifically of the fantasy genre. Not streamers, not influencers, but the true, dedicated gamers, the fans, who on nights like this are given their just due. They are the heart of the gaming industry, and without them, these games would not exist. You could not ask to be surrounded by a more good-natured, well-intentioned, knowledgeable, and cheerful bunch. They don’t have tons of money. Many are on a budget, yet they still do their utmost to show off their best efforts (and some efforts are truly extraordinary) at how much they love “FINAL FANTASY.” The Asian Weekly talked to several loyal fans before the show (and learned straight away that if you ask a cosplayer their name, they’re going to tell you their character).
“The music that Soken writes is very well made,” Francisco Quesada Lara and Sook Kuan Goh told us, while holding two beautiful, boxed sets of the scores from FINAL FANTASY XIV, as well as a giant yellow stuffed chocobo, the famous and very recognizable ostrich-like animal that the characters (and you) can ride or raise in the games.
Francisco Quesada Lara (left) and Sook Kuan Goh (Photo by Kai Curry)
“It evokes a lot of feelings” from playing the game, they told us. “There’s a lot of story behind FINAL FANTASY XIV, and XVI as well.” Attendee Kirahishi (“Kira”), dressed as Dion Lesage, a character they play, has been a fan of the game “since high school…I love the story—the story and the characters are very dear to me.” Anything to do with the game, according to Kira, has a very nostalgic quality, and the characters are relatable. Kira and a friend cosplayed characters from XVI.
Characters Dion Lesage (cosplay by Kirahishi, left) and Joshua Rosfield (cosplay by @nanatto), from FINAL FANTASY XVI. (Photo by Kai Curry)
“You almost see yourself in it. It’s very empowering,” Kira continued. And the music? It’s “immaculate.” Soken’s work, they call “recent favorites”: “It brings you through a journey, every song gives me goosebumps.”
They were nights of anniversary. The one-year anniversary of the release of FINAL FANTASY XVI. The 35th anniversary of the game itself, the original iteration, which came out in 1987 (37 years, but the show is celebrating these landmark moments). The 15th anniversary of this show, “Distant Worlds” (by a couple of years, Roth clarified, laughing). The 30th anniversary of FINAL FANTASY VI. “We will be doing tributes to all of those things,” Roth said.
The music, as promised, as attested, was evocative, emotional, stunning. I have always thought that the “FINAL FANTASY” series of games is the most romantic of all those that are out there, and I was not dissuaded this weekend. The love stories, the tragedy mixed with beauty, the stirring musical accompaniment (including the incredible voice of Amanda Achen—wow), all combine to sweep you up instantly into the experience, into the game, into the show. It’s entertaining and interesting to track the development of the game through the videos over the stage, and to notice which elements the game’s creators have been so meticulous about reintroducing throughout the series—the airship, the palaces, the costuming, the weaponry, the heroes, the villains. There are new characters but also the originals that everyone loves: Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and don’t forget the notorious white-haired villain, Sephiroth.
Take a bow. Masayoshi Soken (white shirt), Amanda Achen (pink dress), conductor Arnie Roth (center), guest guitarist and pipe organist, orchestra, and choir. (Photo by Kai Curry)
Once inside, everyone delighted at the giant bright yellow chocobo watching the performance from its seat in the balcony next to fans Lara and Goh. “I’m so glad this show exists,” said a nearby fan. Heads turned every which way to catch what people were wearing or carrying. The excitement was palpable and never let up. Behind us, a set of dedicated online players sat, discussing who else from their server was present that night—they keep track of each other that way; they are friends, they are family. And on a night like this, you can be part of that.
Kai can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.